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Flies and Tigers | 抓蝇打虎

Zhou Yongkang gets life in prison

Source: Shanghai Daily | June 12, 2015, Friday | Print Edition

CHINA’S former security chief Zhou Yongkang, the highest ranking ex-official to be investigated for corruption in decades, was sentenced to life imprisonment yesterday for accepting bribes, abusing his power and deliberately disclosing state secrets, the Tianjin No. 1 Intermediate People’s Court ruled.

The 72-year-old was also deprived of his political rights for life and had his personal assets confiscated.

Zhou, a former member of the Communist Party’s Politburo Standing Committee, wielded vast power as head of the police and courts until his retirement in 2012.

He had also served as Party secretary of Sichuan Province.

He spent the early part of his career in the oil industry, rising through the ranks over several decades to become head of China National Petroleum Corp, one of the world’s biggest energy companies, in 1996.

A series of senior figures from the state-owned oil industry have been detained in China’s anti-corruption crackdown.

The court heard his case on May 22. As it involved the disclosure of state secrets, the trial was not open to the public. Zhou pleaded guilty and said he would not appeal.

Zhou was convicted of taking bribes worth about 130 million yuan (US$21.3 million), according to the court.

It said Zhou took advantage of his position to seek profits for five people — identified as Wu Bing, Ding Xuefeng, Wen Qingshan, Zhou Hao and Jiang Jiemin — and personally accepted money and property worth 731,100 yuan from Jiang.

Money and property worth 129 million yuan was accepted by his wife Jia Xiaoye and son Zhou Bin. Zhou was informed of these bribes after the fact.

According to the court judgment, Zhou instructed Jiang, former head of the China National Petroleum Corporation, and Li Chuncheng, formerly deputy Party chief of Sichuan, to assist the business activities of others, helping them to illegally obtain about 2.14 billion yuan and causing losses to the state of 1.49 billion yuan.

Zhou leaked five “extremely confidential” documents and one “confidential” document to an unauthorized person identified as Cao Yongzheng, directly contravening the State Secrets Law.

Zhou’s wife and son testified through video link while Wu and Jiang appeared in court. Other witness statements were presented along with the evidence.

The court statement said Zhou had taken “particularly huge bribes,” but had truthfully confessed, pleaded guilty and repented his wrongdoing when brought to justice. Most of the money was accepted by Zhou’s relatives, without his prior knowledge, and Zhou had asked his relatives to return their illegal gains. All gifts and cash had now been recovered. These actions constituted “legal and discretionary grounds for lesser punishment,” the court said.

Zhou abused his power and deliberately disclosed state secrets “in particularly grave circumstances,” the court’s statement continued, but his actions “did not have serious consequences.”

The court reached its verdict “in accordance with the facts, nature, and details” of Zhou’s crimes, based on the harm done to society.

In his final statement, Zhou accepted the charges. “The basic facts are clear. I plead guilty and repent my wrongdoing,” he said.

“Those involved, who bribed my family, were actually coming after the power I held, and I should take the main responsibility.

“I broke the law and Party rules incessantly, and the objective facts of my crimes have resulted in grave losses for the Party and the nation.

“The handling of my case in accordance with Party rules and the law reflects the authorities’ determination to govern the Party strictly and advance the rule of law,” Zhou added.

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